Mediumship

The BKWSU considers that their religon is unique in that God Himself possesses, or is mediumistically “channelled” through, a human medium to teach them liberation directly. In addition, it trains and employs a number minor trance mediums who are, allegedly, able to travel between dimensions to relay messages to and from their deceased founder Lekhraj Kirpalani and other ex-leaders even allowing their spirits to possess their bodies in order met and greet their followers. In the early days of its history, it was criticised for its use of trance states in which children would stay for as long as 7 days having visions and meeting or dancing with gods. Many of these individuals have gone on to take a high status within the current oganization.

From the Hindi word for flute, as seen pictured symbolically in the hands of Krishna, the BK “Murlis” are the closest thing to scripture within the BK religion. They are considered to be the absolute words of God, i.e. Shiva, as spoken through the medium of Lekhraj Kirpalani and then BK sister Gulzar. All the primary BK teachings come from these Murlis. These teachings, especially the original Sakar Murlis, are not widely available to the public with access even being restricted from regular followers. For example, in London brahma Kumari followers are required to come into the main center and only allow access to read Murlis in one area under the supervision of an official. BK “students” are required to attend centers to hear a Murli every morning; 7 days a week, 365 days a year, at around 6.30 am each day.

The credibility of these claims are weakened by the fact there was no mention of Shiva in the BKWSU materials between 1938 to 1950 and Kripalani himself was during this period refered to as “Prajapati God Brahma”, “Lord of Mankind” and the “Inventor of the Gita”; and that the leadership are involved the significant re-editing of them.

There are two main varieties of Murli, the Sakar Murli and the Avyakt Murli (or Vani). Previously, there were two other forms at least; one called the “Pui Vanis” spoken by a different medium from Lekhraj Kripalani or Gulzar and now written out of BKWSU history. Alternatively there were also the “Divine Decrees” written in English in the 1930s and 40s. In the early days of the BKWSU there were many incidents of mediumship and the Murli was not spoken through the medium Kripalani.

Sakar Murlis; “Sakar” or corporeal – allegedly spoken by God through Lekhraj Kirpalani every morning until his death in 1969. The BKWSU edits and recycles the last 5 years of these, listening to them Monday through to Saturday. No mention is made to the missing 28 years of mediumistic messages nor explanations offered. Students are generally not told that these are being reccycled and the BKWSU has recently taken off the original dates making it very difficult to track the re-writing and re-editing their are doing to them.

Avyakt Murlis; “Avyakt vanis” or “angelic versions” allegedly spoken since 1969, by God and Lekhraj Kirpalani through the mediumship or channel of BK Gulzar. Only a few of these are now spoken each year and BKs also re-write, re-edit and recycle these, hearing them every Sunday. God is said to only speak in Madhuban, India but not also makes appearances via the BKWSU mediums at a large conference hall in Abu Road, Rajasthan. Vanis means “versions”.

Controversy exist over how much of the Murlis are God speaking and how much are Lekhraj Kripalani, also known as Brahma Baba, speaking. Internally, a wide variety of opinions are be held. Institutionally, the Seniors have invariably avoided this debate by accepting Brahma Baba’s words to be equal to God Shiva’s. The BKWSU call the two souls, in a combined form, “BapDada” and engage in editing out, or considerably changing, controversial sections of the Murlis including; dates, specific numeric references such as world population and the more politically incorrect contents, e.g. relating to race, color or religion.

“God” speaks a lower middle class Hindi with a few words of English and is apparently concerned mainly with Hindu belief. Instructed to revise these teachings after the death of Lekhraj Kripalani, revision has been taken to mean re-editing. Unfortunately, due to extensive nature of these edits and secrecy about the early teachings, it is becoming increasing difficult study them in their original state.

BKWSU followers are not informed about the existence of, nor offered access to, either the Pui Vanis, the English language Divine Decrees or other earlier versions from the 30s, 40s and early 50s. Nor are they informed about the various mediums involved in bring forth “The Knowledge” in the early and such groups as “the Golden Circle”, even though relatives of the current leader Janki Kripalani appear to have been involved. Significant changes in the teachings are not documented, not spoken and covered up. Allegedly, when the group moved from Karachi to its present headquarters in Mount Abu, “there was no space” to move these old documents and they were “buried”, even though the community was able to ship their private motor vehicles and buses.

Murlis are said not to be suitable for a general readership as non-BK are said to have “impure intellects” which would not understand them. However, those wishing to examine public examples may follow these links for; Sakar Murlis and Avyakt Murlis